Conservatory closes its doors

[vivaldirules]

I'm very sorry this didn't work as planned and saddened that people were hurt from the discussions or from the fact that it has been removed. But the problem remains: keeping threads on topic. Just one post with a comment slightly off track in a thread about DRM alternatives and it becomes a thread about bread recipes or squirrels. New people checking in on the thread naturally join in the lastest (squirrel) discussion while those who started the thread are disappointed that no one is discussing the main topic any longer and go away angry. What to do?

I don't think it's to try to stay inhumanly focused on the topic. I think that doing so causes people to become so dreadfully focused that they become dour, easily get their ire up, and lose their sense of humility. That's what it felt like to me, at least, and the only solution for me was to just walk away and stay away. I'm wondering if there isn't a better solution, perhaps in a software change, that would allow someone (maybe anyone, not just the poster or a moderator) to designate a post as off-topic and clearly set it to the side in the thread listing. Not to remove it from the thread but to make it clear to all that the post is a tangent and that the main topic discussion remains alive. Of course, I don't have a clue what I'm talking about. I'm just throwing out an idea I see in my head - such as it is.

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

Well sorry Zelda, but that just is not true - try being a relative newcomer to these forums and posting replies in a thread in the Lounge where several long-term members are interacting. True, you won't get any hostility, but it is almost certain that you will be totally and utterly ignored.

I think that's true of anywhere, at any time, in any place, not just a forum. Willigness to participate is the first hurdle when interacting within any group, acceptance and recognition comes from that participation plus time and familiarity. I haven't been here much longer than you, Bilbo, but I was no more "ignored" than I would have been if I'd walked in at a party as a guest and interrupted an ongoing conversation between two friends. And that doesn't bother me, this is a public forum, I never expected to get any reaction, let alone the fantastic one I've recieved since joining this community.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by roger the rabbit

That, like life is relative, I would guess he is giving a lot more than you IMHO.

Yes, but not more than what all people contributing here gives. So I really do not like the viewpoint that one person own a forum or a mailing list and can decide whatever they want. Practically maybe one person can make decisions but the participants will leave if the decisions are bad and then it is not the same forum or the same mailing list.

If you started using the internet when News was what you used then it is totally natural that a forum or a mailing list belongs to all that participate. But I know that younger people sometimes take a different view on this.

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by mtravellerh

Aww come on. That is simply not true. I vividly remember that I was welcomed with open arms (and ears) six months (oh my!) ago.

Glad you found it so, but I can only report my experience honestly and that is how I find it.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

I'm wondering if there isn't a better solution, perhaps in a software change, that would allow someone (maybe anyone, not just the poster or a moderator) to designate a post as off-topic and clearly set it to the side in the thread listing. Not to remove it from the thread but to make it clear to all that the post is a tangent and that the main topic discussion remains alive. Of course, I don't have a clue what I'm talking about. I'm just throwing out an idea I see in my head - such as it is.

I know some forum software has the option available to moderators and admins to split a topic, which could be a solution, if the mods don't mind the extra work involved

[tompe]

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

I'm very sorry this didn't work as planned and saddened that people were hurt from the discussions or from the fact that it has been removed. But the problem remains: keeping threads on topic. Just one post with a comment slightly off track in a thread about DRM alternatives and it becomes a thread about bread recipes or squirrels. New people checking in on the thread naturally join in the lastest (squirrel) discussion while those who started the thread are disappointed that no one is discussing the main topic any longer and go away angry. What to do?

Maybe report the thread and moderators can split it?

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by tompe

Yes, but not more than what all people contributing here gives. So I really do not like the viewpoint that one person own a forum or a mailing list and can decide whatever they want. Practically maybe one person can make decisions but the participants will leave if the decisions are bad and then it is not the same forum or the same mailing list.

If you started using the internet when News was what you used then it is totally natural that a forum or a mailing list belongs to all that participate. But I know that younger people sometimes take a different view on this.

The people who participate on a forum or mailing list certainly make or break it. But when a forum is being paid for privately by the owner, as I believe is the case with MR, then personally I feel it belongs to them. And so long as they provide what the majority of forum visitors want, then it will continue to live. But if the person paying for it's existence decides that it is no longer worth their money, then that really is up to them.

(And I have been using the internet since pre-web days...)

[ProfJulie]

Originally Posted by tompe

I see only that some people complained. People always complains.
That does not mean that there is a reason to complain. I have not seen any example given exactly what threads motivated the decision and how it spread to other parts of the forum.

A lot of people liked the discussions. Why should some people complaining overriding the wishes of the people that liked the discussions but never got a chance saying so?

If the goal is to forbid certain types of discussions please state that certain kind of discussions are not welcome. Now I am totally unsure about what is permitted and not permitted.

It seems to me the Conservatory was doomed from the start. There were no clear parameters given to it and there was no moderation. As far as I can tell, the users who started these controversial threads and who made these insulting remarks that made so many unknown members uncomfortable were not confronted by the moderators. There are forum tools that could have been used to better moderate this forum. Instead, the forum was closed down.

I never thought a new forum was needed. All I wanted was a way to post to threads that stayed on topic and did not degenerates into the mindless silly dribble of so many off topic threads. And that is still my fundamental concern.

But it seems we are in the minority and so our voice does not matter as much as the majority...but for every Ea & tompe who are voicing their concerns here, there are others like me who don't voice their concerns so vociferously, who read the responses, gauge the climate of the forum, and quietly go away.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm

The people who participate on a forum or mailing list certainly make or break it. But when a forum is being paid for privately by the owner, as I believe is the case with MR, then personally I feel it belongs to them.

I think advertising pays for the forum and maybe generates profits. Otherwise I would have thought that donations would have been asked for and gotten.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by tompe

I think advertising pays for the forum and maybe generates profits. Otherwise I would have thought that donations would have been asked for and gotten.

I suspect advertising certainly helps, but I'm partly basing my thoughts on the notice at the bottom:

MobileRead.com is a privately owned, operated and funded community.

[DixieGal]

Originally Posted by tompe

I think advertising pays for the forum and maybe generates profits. Otherwise I would have thought that donations would have been asked for and gotten.

What advertising?

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

What advertising?

Good point - I've not seen any for ages now.

I know there used to be advertising, because we had the thread to confuse it

[astra]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Uh oh! Astra, are you getting emails on all the threads? You can unsubscribe at "edit options" under "user cp" to stop them. Then, if you still want notification of certain threads, you can subscribe to get emails for specific individual threads. Gracious, it would be enough to make anyone mad to be receiving emails on all of the threads!

EDIT: I would join your avatar in banging my head on your piano!

I am subscribed to certain forums for daily updates by email:

News and Commentary
Deals, Freebies, and Resources
Sony Portable Reader PRS-500/505
Feedback
Announcements


and weekly email update (that I scan quicker and less interested):

Reading Recommendations
Workshop
ePub
PDF
LRF
Other formats
Sony Portable Reader PRS-700
Bookeen Cybook Gen3


I used to be subscribed to Lounge too because sometimes there were good topics but it was very irritating reading through all the silly topic names created every day trying to find anything interesting.
Conservatory solved the problem. I unsubscribed from Lounge and subscribed to Conservatory. No more frustration, very convenient and comfortable.
Now I have to subscribe to Lounge again...and go through this chore of ignoring silly/stupid/idiotic topics of the forum.

As I said, having one or two forums has nothing to do with appearance offensive topics. They would be posted in Lounge or other forums instead of Conservatory. It would not make forum any better/worse in this regard, on the other hand having two forums definitely helped some people not to be aware of silly topics.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

What advertising?

I had not noticed that it had disappeared. But we have had advertising for a long time. It was there when I started using the forum.

Maybe it generated enough money for the costs in the foreseeable future.

[ahammer]

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

I'm very sorry this didn't work as planned and saddened that people were hurt from the discussions or from the fact that it has been removed. But the problem remains: keeping threads on topic. Just one post with a comment slightly off track in a thread about DRM alternatives and it becomes a thread about bread recipes or squirrels. New people checking in on the thread naturally join in the lastest (squirrel) discussion while those who started the thread are disappointed that no one is discussing the main topic any longer and go away angry. What to do?

I don't think it's to try to stay inhumanly focused on the topic. I think that doing so causes people to become so dreadfully focused that they become dour, easily get their ire up, and lose their sense of humility. That's what it felt like to me, at least, and the only solution for me was to just walk away and stay away. I'm wondering if there isn't a better solution, perhaps in a software change, that would allow someone (maybe anyone, not just the poster or a moderator) to designate a post as off-topic and clearly set it to the side in the thread listing. Not to remove it from the thread but to make it clear to all that the post is a tangent and that the main topic discussion remains alive. Of course, I don't have a clue what I'm talking about. I'm just throwing out an idea I see in my head - such as it is.

I like the way that life hacker does there comments. I could see a forum set up like this. and it would work well aslong as you have javascript on that is.

http://lifehacker.com/5245881/window...lity#c12686949